Chiroselective self-directed octamerization of serine: implications for homochirogenesis

Serine undergoes chiroselective self-directed oligomerization to form a singly protonated octamer under positive ion electrospray conditions, as identified by ion trap tandem mass spectrometry. The experiments also show a series of higher-order clusters (metaclusters) corresponding to [(Ser8H)n]n+, n = 1, 2, 3. There is a magic number effect favoring formation of the protonated octamer over its homologues and also a strong preference for octamer formation from homochiral serine molecules. Collision-induced dissociation suggests that the protonated octamer is composed of four hydrogen-bonded dimers, stabilized by further extensive hydrogen bonding. Density functional calculations support this model and show that the protonated homochiral octamer is energetically stabilized relative to its possible fragments (dimer plus protonated hexamer, etc). The calculations also show that heterochiral octamers are less stable than homochiral octamers (e.g., the protonated 7:1 cluster is 2.1 kcal/mol less stable than the 8:0 analogue). The implications of these results for the origin of homochirality are discussed.